Knights of the Avatar
by saxwarrior
Summary: Set in the early years of the 100 Years War. A young, patriotic firebender is recruited to fight as a Knight serving the Avatar. He joins them in their conquest against the Fire Nation, but he quickly begins to suspect that the Knighthood may be built on treachery and dishonor. He sets out to discover the reason Avatar Yangchen had the Knights disbanded centuries ago.
1. The Air Knight

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any characters, except I'm really only using one of the series' canon characters in this fic, so the disclaimer feels kinda unnecessary.

A/N: Rated T for violence and some suggestive dialogue.

The Knights of the Avatar

Chapter 1: The Air Knight

_Ten years after The Hundred Years War began_

_The Fire Nation Capital City_

_Ken_

The sunset painted the sky red as Ken shot flame after flame at imaginary opponents. He had to keep practicing. He had to prove them wrong.

Ken was firebending in the backyard of his father's house. Since he used the backyard for practice, it made him more frustrated than that quaint little yard ought to. It was a perfectly fine backyard. It had a stone patio where Ken had practiced all his life and the walls were high and decked in ivy so no one could watch Ken embarrass himself when he screwed up.

Aesthetically appealing backyard aside, Ken felt like he was about to cry. He wasn't choking back tears or anything like that, but his throat was so tight, Ken was afraid he might let out a sob. He cleared his throat and sniffled a bit before punching the air again to let out a burst of flame. He narrowed his eyes, shielding them from the heat spewing from his hands. _Keep practicing,_ he told himself.

_Come on, Ken_, he thought to himself. _You're a mediocre bender at best._ The words were harsh but Ken always believed in honesty, especially with himself. He glanced once more at the paper he'd thrown on the ground. It detailed his evaluation for the Navy and it was stamped with a bright red 拒絕- _Rejected. _

He _had_ been acceptable by the Navy's standard. His firebending wasn't on point, but he'd passed the aptitude test with no problem. But his skill was really the only thing he could improve.

Ken's father, Mr. Zhou, was a nobleman of the Fire Nation. He was also the nephew to Avatar Roku. Ken had never met his famous great-uncle, who had died a decade or so before Ken was born. However, Zhou shared Roku's political views. Zhou believed the war was wrong and the Fire Lord had no authority to spread his reign across foreign borders. Mr. Zhou was soft-spoken in his views, but he would defend them at the occasional dinner party.

To be fair to himself, Ken believed those things too, but he also believed that his Nation was a great one and he wanted to serve it.

The official reason for Ken's rejection was "_seems unfit for combat"_, but he was sure that his father's reputation as a "sympathizer" had preceded him.

Ken took a deep breath and let it out. It was so hot he could feel a tender burn on his lips, but there was no flame. He lashed out in disappointment and flames streamed from his arm.

Then, only for a second, the flames illuminated a figure perched atop the wall like a cat-squirrel. Ken hadn't noticed it as the sun set.

"Who's there?" he called, illuminating the backyard with his hand.

The figure dropped from the wall like a leaf, lightly, _impossibly lightly, _touching down. He was dressed in yellow and orange robes, had a shaved head and carried a wooden staff.

_An airbender! _Ken realized, and the flame in his outstretched hand dissipated. _Weren't they... extinct? _

"My name is Sir Piao," said the airbender, approaching.

Ken bowed respectfully. "I'm Ken," he said.

"I know," said Sir Piao, also bowing and smiling with confidence. "I've been watching you all day. Including at the recruiting station." His cold gray eyes gleamed and Ken tried to identify that expression. "It's a real shame."

It occurred to Ken that this stranger might not be entirely friendly. The other nations- especially Air- had every reason to resent Fire Nation citizens, after all. "I don't want trouble," Ken said, standing his ground. "I only wanted to serve my country and my Fire Lord."

Sir Piao nodded. "I understand that. But I am calling you to serve someone even higher. _Avatar Aang._"

Ken instinctively glanced at a leather wristband on his left wrist. It was passed down to him by his father. He had received it from Avatar Roku.

"I don't understand," Ken said. "I thought the Avatar was dead."

Sir Piao chuckled. "The Fire Lord would love for you to think that, and it's easy enough to believe- Avatar Aang's not fighting in the war." He cleared his throat. "What do you know of the Knights of the Avatar?"

Ken shrugged. "Never heard of them."

"You wouldn't," said Sir Piao. "Allow me to explain. Despite what you learned in school, the Air Nation had no formal military. The Air Nomads practiced non-violence and pacifism. It was the only way for an Air Nomad to reach enlightenment. So when an Avatar comes from the Air Nation, warriors from each of the four nations are knighted and recruited to fight his battles for him. To protect the Avatar's spiritual well-being."

Ken's eyes grew wide. "What exactly are you offering?"

"A knighthood," said Sir Piao. "Avatar Aang is seeking enlightenment, secluded, in hiding from the Fire Nation. And he's tasked me with assembling the Knights." He smiled in spite of himself. "We need a Fire Knight. You need to answer the call to serve. What do you say?"

Now Ken understood that expression he'd had trouble identifying earlier- seizing an opportunity. In the end it was an easy decision. The Fire Lord was abusing his power, but Ken felt honor-bound to serve. And he was given a chance to serve _the Avatar!_ Sir Piao offered his hand and Ken shook it.

"Welcome Sir Ken, Fire Knight of the Avatar."

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_Avatar Yangchen_

_Three centuries earlier_

Pegei the flying bison dipped down below the cliff face and the Western Air Temple came into view. The temple, carved into a canyon by Air Spirits, was completely invisible from above, but just below ground level, intricate statues of enlightened airbending nuns lined the facade of the temple, facing the gorge below. Above the gorge was wide open sky, perfect for the airbenders who resided in the temple.

_I'm home,_ thought Avatar Yangchen. For so long, she'd travelled from nation to nation training in the bending arts. Now, after five long years, the Western Air Temple welcomed her back.

From the saddle, Yangchen could see a gathering of people standing out in the open welcoming her home. She waved excitedly.

"Avatar Yangchen, please remain in your seat!" scolded Sister Ling.

The old nun meant well, but Yangchen was sick of how overbearing she could be. She'd known the old woman her whole life and endured her presence throughout _all_ of her training. Sister Ling was more than her airbending master, she was Yangchen's guardian. But even the respect for her old master couldn't keep Yangchen from leaning dangerously over the saddle in search of her friends.

Then, she saw them, two tall figures holding hands. "Gao! Baojia!"

The two monks raised their unoccupied hands in greeting.

Too eager to wait any longer, Yangchen jumped from the saddle and soared over to solid ground. She ran into the two men's arms and they both smothered her in a group hug.

"Gao, you got your tattoos!" she said, rubbing the taller boy's bald head.

"And you haven't, Miss Avatar!" said Gao. "Aren't you a master yet?"

Yangchen shrugged. "Being the Avatar sort of got in the way."

"We'll get you inked up soon enough," said Baojia.

Yangchen laughed. "Yeah, I'll make that my top priority. And, oh my god, I can't believe I missed the wedding!"

Yangchen was in earthbending training when the two monks got married. She'd begged and pleaded her master to let her take a few weeks to fly home and see them married, but he'd refused.

Gao and Baojia were already holding hands again. "It was a great night," said Gao. "We just couldn't help laughing at your letter. We just pictured you carrying a giant boulder on those scrawny little shoulders of yours. And something similar happened that night, as I recall."

"Twice." Baojia winked.

"Avatar Yangchen!" came the sharp, shrill call of Sister Ling. "Come here at once, child. I have some very important visitors."

Yangchen sighed. "Duty calls. We must go flying together later!"

"We'll hold you to that!" called Baojia as Yangchen ran to Sister Ling.

The sister was standing before a matching set of tall, imposing men. They were all dressed in intricate white armor, each lined with the color of a different nation.

"Avatar Yangchen," said Sister Ling, "I want you to meet your Knights."

Yangchen's face betrayed her bemusement. "My what?"

"Your Knights, girl! Your Knights!" Sister Ling spread her arms like she was presenting a new birthday gift, only her tone sounded like a punishment. Then again, it always did.

"Oh, right," said Yangchen, remembering her air temple lessons now. "Avatar Knights. Right."

"Knights _of the_ Avatar," corrected Sister Ling. "These gentlemen are the finest benders in the world. You remember Ho, I'm sure."

The man furthest to the left of the lineup stepped forward and Yangchen realized she knew him. "Is that really you, Ho?" she asked, peeking under his helm. "You're so much... bigger in that armor!"

Ho did not smile back. "Good to see you again, Yangchen." Even during their airbending training, Ho had been a humorless kid. Yangchen ignored his curtness.

Sister Ling moved on to the next knight. "This is Sir Khan, the Water Knight. He was a skilled _catamaran_ captain in the Water Tribe."

Sir Khan was an intimidating looking man. He had an imposing mustache and dark eyes typical of the water tribe. Truth be told, Yangchen felt a surge in her stomach and wondered vaguely what the rules were about dating her Knights. She blushed and smiled. Sir Khan did neither.

"Sir Huang, the Earth Knight, a mercenary from the southern Earth Kingdom," said Sister Ling moving on. Yangchen wondered if she had ever seen someone quite so muscly. His armor was far too tight on him and it seemed to be a feat of bending just for him to move around.

"And Sir Rozan, Fire Knight, an undefeated _Agni Kai_ champion." The smooth-skinned, sallow-faced firebender nodded shortly.

"It is an honor to meet you all," said Yangchen, bowing respectfully.

The knights then bowed as one unit. "The honor is ours, Avatar," said Ho.

There was an awkward silence then and Sister Ling elbowed Yangchen harshly. "Oh! Uh... Thank you for your service?"

Sister Ling sighed. "That will be all, for now," she said. The Knights bowed their heads one last time and left.

Yangchen watched them leave. She was impressed with them to be sure. They certainly looked the part of a group of rough and tough warriors. She gave herself a mental pat of reassurance. The world was at peace. There was no need for her Knights to be engaged in any battle for the time being.

For today, at least, all was well.

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_Ken_

The sun was rising and Ken reflected on how much his life had changed since sunset the night before. Once he'd accepted Sir Piao's offer, he'd packed his bag, left a note for his father, stolen his father's dragon-moose, Shan, and the three of them snuck out of the Fire Nation capital.

Sir Piao had led him to a boat hidden on the island's northern face and they sailed under a Fire Navy flag past the blockade into Earth Kingdom waters.

As they made their way across the open ocean, Sir Piao told Ken about the other knights.

"Traditionally there are four. The Air Knight, Water Knight, Earth Knight, and Fire Knight- that's you," Sir Piao had said. "However, in this time of war, Avatar Aang felt the need to expand. We've recruited many warriors for the Knights, and not just benders. The finest swordsmen and martial artists the world has to offer. I'm the Air Knight, and there are three other airbenders who have managed to survive Sozin's genocide. The Earth Knight, Sir Xin, plus nine benders and five warriors from all corners of the Earth Kingdom. Sir Ankorr is the Water Knight. And there are three waterbenders and one warrior. That just leaves you, the Fire Knight."

Ken counted them all in his head. Twenty-five! Practically an army. They could conquer a small island if they wanted. "Avatar Aang wanted so many?"

"We're at war, we need all the men we can get," Sir Piao had said.

Ken nodded. "What's Avatar Aang like?"

Sir Piao hadn't answered right away. "He's a great, but disturbed young man. It isn't right that this, the world's darkest era, is his responsibility. There is only so much he can do. He stays hidden and gives me orders. I do everything I can to help him.

"I knew him. Before the war, I mean. We grew up together in the Southern Air Temple. He was an airbending prodigy. The greatest airbender I've ever known. And a good friend. But this war has changed him. It's changed me too, for that matter. The attacks on the Air Temples all but wiped us out. He saved my life and we escaped the firebenders and their comet-enhanced abilities. We went to the other Air Temples and found more airbenders who survived. That's when Aang decided to assemble the Knights. He made me Air Knight- traditionally the Commander of the Knights. I've been fighting ever since."

It was all Ken could do not to drink up Piao's anecdote. "You're an Air Nomad too. Don't you have your own spiritual needs?"

Sir Piao had smiled then. Ken remembered thinking that was odd. "My service to the Avatar is more important. The purpose of the Knighthood is to spare his spiritual needs, not the other way around."

Ken's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of mountains in the distance. "We're almost there," Piao said.

They steered the boat towards the mountains and Ken eventually could make out the beach. Shan, sensing the nearby earth got excited. "Calm down," Ken told him, patting him on the neck. The moose let out an annoyed huff.

The closer they got, the better Ken could see the Knights' encampment. Figures were milling about, sharpening weapons or cooking breakfast over their fires. A low stone-wall (probably made by earthbending, Ken realized) housed what looked like two dozen animals, mostly ostrich-horses. Despite Piao's comment that they needed "all the men we could get", Ken noticed several of the figures had a distinct feminine shape.

"How do I address the female Knights?" Ken asked, as the bottom of the boat began to scrape sand.

"Dame," answered Sir Piao and he dropped the anchor. "Or just by their names. Most of the Knights do. I prefer _Sir_ Piao because it serves to remind me of my duties."

Ken understood, or at least acted like he did. He took Shan by the reigns and led him off the boat and onto the beach.

"Everyone, meet Sir Ken," said Sir Piao as they entered the camp. The Knights started congregating around them and Ken felt himself going red in the face at all the attention he was getting. He kept hearing phrases like "firebender" and "the Fire Knight" around him. "We officially represent all four nations!" said Sir Piao triumphantly.

The Knights cheered around them. Two of them stepped forward. The first had long dreadlocks hanging over his shoulders and had the dark skin typical of the water tribe. "You must be Sir Ankorr," said Ken, offering his hand. Ankorr shook it eagerly.

"And I'm Sir Xin," said the other, a slim earthbender with short cropped hair.

"Glad to meet you both," said Ken.

Xin nodded, then immediately turned to address Sir Piao.

"Commander, we're ready for the attack, as you ordered."

The words took Ken by surprise. He joined- he counted quickly- twelve hours ago? And already he was going to be in a battle? After a night of sleeplessness and seasickness? He suddenly felt a little weak in the knees.

"Pack your gear and get your mounts!" Sir Piao called. "We're heading out!" The Knights scattered, shoveling the remnants of their breakfast down their throats and dousing their fires.

"Sir Ken," said Sir Piao, and Ken snapped too attention.

"Yes, Commander?"

Sir Piao pointed south towards the beach. "One klick in that direction is the Fire Nation's Southern Harbor hidden beneath a cliff. It's a launching point for the majority of their incursions on the southern Earth Kingdom. Avatar Aang ordered us to take it out. If we succeed, we could derail attacks in the region for months to come."

Ken nodded. "Understood, Commander."

Sir Piao smiled. "Good." He pointed to a couple of men mounted on ostrich-horses holding spears. "Sir Fu and Sir Dorgon," he said. "They're in the calvary. Fall in line with them and use all the firepower you got."

"Yes, Commander," said Ken.

Sir Piao swirled his staff and its bright orange wings expanded. He took off without another word.

"Alright, Shan," Ken said as he swung up onto the saddle. "Are you ready for some action?" Come to that, Ken wasn't even sure if he was. It wasn't lost on him that he was going up against his own countrymen. But he was serving the Avatar. It was the honorable side. Surely his actions were justified. He hoped. He felt Avatar Roku's wristband tight against his skin. "Ya!" he said and Shan rode up to Fu and Dorgon and their mounts.

As he approached the two Earth Kingdom warriors, he noticed the unfriendly leers they gave him. "Hey, firebender, careful not to burn us," Fu said, pointing the butt of his spear at Ken's chest.

"I'll do my best," Ken said coldly. The two warriors didn't look convinced. _Whatever,_ Ken thought savagely. _I'll show them._

Another rider joined them- a female Water Tribe warrior. She was brandishing a menacing-looking sword. "What's your name?" Ken asked.

The woman's eyes peered up at him beneath dark bangs. "Kundra" she answered shortly.

"What sort of animal is that?" Ken asked, wondering if anyone in this knighthood would show him a little courtesy.

The woman looked at him blankly. "An elk," she said. Her tone hinted that she'd rather stab him than answer his question.

There was a flash of orange and Sir Piao landed beside them. "You're our first attack team," he instructed. "Cut straight through to the heart of the harbor. The rest of us will back you up. Sir Ken, we need your firebending. Burn those firebenders before they burn us."

"Yes, sir, Commander," Ken said. "I won't let you down." _I hope, _he added in thought.

"Follow Ken's lead!" said Sir Piao. "I want him up front taking those firebenders by surprise." After the choruses of "Yes, Commander"s, Sir Piao was off. Ken pretended not to notice the other Knights' resentful looks.

The four riders moved to the front of the ranks and Ken looked around. To his right, nearer the surf, there were earthbenders with their giant stone discs and waterbenders with tentacle-like water tendrils around their arms. Leading their charge was Sir Ankorr riding a buffalo-yak. Sir Xin and the remainder of the Earth Kingdom warriors were on Ken's left. Above them all, the three airbenders hovered on rotating balls of air.

Sir Piao landed on the front of the line. "You all know the drill!" he shouted above the din. "The calvary charges through their defenses and takes them by surprise. Right flank- take out the docks and the ships. Cut off their escape early. Left flank- pin them up against the cliff. Get them surrounded. Today, we fight for the Avatar!"

A roar went up among the riders and Ken joined in. He felt braver cheering with them. "Let's move out!" Sir Piao shouted.

"Ya!" Ken kicked Shan into gear and the line started moving. Ken was riding Shan hard and Fu pulled up beside him. "Ease up on him," he advised. "You don't want him exhausted before we get there."

"Right," Ken said, sheepishly, slowing Shan a bit.

They rounded a bend in the beach and then Ken could see the harbor. It was protected by a tall fence of sharpened wooden stakes. There were metal watch towers lining the exterior fence and Ken could see the metal docks and ships reaching out into the ocean.

There was movement on his right and Ken saw the three waterbenders surfing toward the docks on what looked like ice. Now was the moment.

He sprayed a jet of fire across the fence, and the whole thing lit up in an instant. The earthbenders joined in, projecting their discs at the weakened fence. A few more fireballs and the fence collapsed. As they neared, Ken heard a warning bell sounding. He nudged Shan to pick up speed. It was thirty yards away. Twenty. Ten. Five. Shan bounded over the burning remains of the fence and Ken was past the perimeter. Immediately, there were firebenders on all sides and Ken shot jets of flame in both directions. He hardly registered their cries of pain before charging past them.

More soldiers were running toward them and Ken shot fire punches at them. They fell. Racing forward, h risked glancing over his shoulder and saw Fu, Dorgon and Kundra slashing at any firebender who remained. "Eyes front!" Kundra yelled at him and Ken quickly corrected.

A group of soldiers with pikes stood before them, planting their spikes in the sand and angling them at Shan's and the other animal's hearts. Another great shot of fire and the soldiers scattered long before Shan would have made contact. More soldiers were coming and Shan was already tiring so Ken yelled out, "Hold here!"

The riders under his command pulled to a stop and readied their weapons. Ken took a glance over the structures. With a few fire blasts, the surrounding tents were ablaze and unarmed, half-naked soldiers came hurrying out. One armored firebender got too close and a startled Shan arched on his hind legs. With a yelp, Ken fell off into the sand. Thinking fast, he dodged a fireball and shot flames at the firebender's helmet. Fu, Dorgon and Kundra were holding their own against the soldier's weapons and dodging any fire blasts. Sprouting a fire whip, Ken brought down the benders around them.

Ken continued to blast the tents and then he saw the supply wagons. He leapt up and shot fireballs at them and a satisfying explosion told them he'd targeted the blasting jelly. He heard shouts of pain coming from all around.

Sir Ankorr and the benders joined their position and the Fire Nation's soldiers were falling back.

"We've got 'em on the run!" Sir Ankorr shouted. To the south, the airbenders were doing their job cutting off their retreat, herding them away from the shore and against the cliff.

"Move in on the remaining soldiers!" Sir Ankorr shouted and Ken grabbed Shan's reigns and rode toward the surviving Fire Nation troops.

Sir Xin and his earthbenders were making short work of them. Some of the earthbenders were perched on the cliff face, dropping entire landslides on the soldiers. Ken wanted to avert his eyes. He would need a stronger stomach for war. After only a few moments of fighting, the waterbenders killed the last of the soldiers and the harbor was completely defeated.

Sir Piao and the other airbenders landed beside them. "Nothing like an early morning assault to catch the Fire Nation off guard, am I right?"

The Knights all had a good laugh at that. All Ken could manage was a smile. He was officially a traitor of the Fire Nation. He fingered with Avatar Roku's wristband. He prayed to every spirit he knew that he was doing the honorable thing in serving the Avatar. He thought for a moment that maybe he hadn't killed anybody- but then he remembered that firebender he'd blasted in the head.

He returned to that spot and found the firebender. The helmet was still smoking. He knelt beside the body and removed the helm. The stink of burning hair and flesh stung his nostrils and he wanted to gag. Around him, the Knights were collecting any supplies that survived the attack. Joining in, Ken began to strip the firebender of his armor.

He donned the armor himself and honestly, the feeling of finally wearing his own Fire Navy armor made him feel so superior. The last thing he put on was the skull faceplate helmet.

"You'll want to be careful," came a voice, and Ken turned to see Sir Piao approaching. "You look like a real firebender now. Some of the Knights may mistake you for an enemy."

There was movement behind Sir Piao and a surviving soldier burst from behind a burning crate, brandishing a sword high. Thinking fast, Ken blasted him with a fireball to the chest and the soldier fell and didn't move again. Sir Piao barely had time to react.

"I am a real firebender," was Piao's only reply. He took Shan by the reigns and walked away. _I need to do something about the smell of this helmet, _he thought.

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A/N: First time writing fanfiction in a while- I've been focusing on my own stuff. Hope y'all didn't miss me too much (I know I wouldn't).

I had the idea for this fic a couple of years ago when I first started reading A Song of Ice and Fire and started studying knights and knighthood and how the concept sometimes implies a spiritual warfare. Medieval knights served the Christian God. ASOIAF knights served the septons and their kings. Jedi knights served the force, etc. (serving isn't exactly the right word, but whatever) and I started working on the idea to have a spiritual band of Knights serving under the Avatar.

I originally scrapped the idea because I honestly thought it was too hokey, particularly since I had it set during the 100 years war so working in airbenders and firebenders was awkward. And Avatar world aside, most Asian cultures don't really have a concept of "knighthood" so presenting this idea to the fandom seemed silly at best. But this past summer, Book 3 of Legend of Korra showed me that the idea of all four kinds of benders working together in a single unit could work and I revisited the story, adding more characters and elaborating on Ken's storyline.

tldr: This is revisiting an old idea and I hope you like it.

ps.- Piao is supposed to be that fugly kid who told Aang he couldn't play the air scooter game since it was "unfair" he was the Avatar.


	2. Conflict in the North

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The Knights of the Avatar

Chapter 2: Conflict in the North

_Yangchen_

Wet with rainwater, Pegei growled miserably as Yangchen dried her off with her airbending. "I'm so sorry, girl," Yangchen whispered as she embraced the bison's head. Pegei gave her a little lick and Yangchen kissed her nose.

They had been flying for days and today a winter storm had caught them by surprise, forcing them to land and make a shelter. Once camp was set up, Sister Ling, Gao and Baojia had all settled in and fallen fast asleep. Yangchen sat by the fire and tried to understand how they'd gotten to this point.

It had started a few weeks after Yangchen had returned home when the Council of Elders summoned her to a meeting. When she'd arrived, she gave Sister Ling a warm smile in greeting and Sister Ling reciprocated, but only just. The nuns on the Council revealed that the Northern and Southern Air Temples were both sending envoys of young monks as suitors and it was the Council's wish that she select one for a husband. The news was so sudden, Yangchen wasn't sure how to take it. She didn't particularly feel like she was ready to be married. She'd left the meeting without argument, wondering if she'd feel differently upon meditating.

She hadn't. A few days later, the monks arrived and Yangchen met with all of them. She'd spend her evenings with one or more of the suitors, flying over the gorge or walking down the hallways of the temple, but she wasn't attracted to any of them. She knew why- she wasn't about to fall in love with someone set up for her. One night over dinner, Baojia and Gao had agreed with her and asked her who, if anyone, she _wanted_ to marry.

Yangchen had shrugged, twirling her noodles mindlessly. "There was a boy in the Water Tribe. Roanak. We..." she blushed. "We spent lots of time together, practicing waterbending, ice-surfing. He was lots of fun. We even kissed once. But, he was more of a friend."

"Beh-er an nuffing!" Gao had exclaimed through a full mouth. The prospect of finding love for his friend was too good of an offer for Gao to take lightly. He took a massive swallow. "You need to ask Sister Ling to call for suitors from the Water Tribe. This boy will _have_ to come visit, then."

After several long minutes of Gao begging (and even crying at one point), Yangchen had relented and promised to speak with the Council in the morning.

"Sister Qui," she'd said, addressing the head nun. "I'm sorry to have wasted the monks' time, but I haven't selected any of the men here. I was wondering if we might send for suitors from the Water Tribe," she said, treading lightly.

"That is a wise move," Sister Qui had said. "Finding a husband from one of the other nations is a sign of the Avatar's faithfulness to all the world."

_Whatever gets Roanak to visit, _Yangchen had thought.

"However," Sister Qui continued, "relations with the Water Tribe would be unwise at this time, what with the rebels."

Yangchen's eyes had flashed. _What rebels?_

"Now, I know of several Earth Kingdom men we could have visit," Sister Qui was saying, "but compatibility would be most unlikely, what with you being an Air Nomad."

"Excuse me, Sister," Yangchen said, trying to keep a note of panic out of her voice. "What is happening in the Water Tribe?"

"It's nothing you need concern yourself with," said Sister Qui. "The tribe is simply dealing with a small rebellion from some of its citizens. The matter is completely under control."

"How small of a rebellion?" Yangchen asked.

"Now, _really_, child!" Sister Ling had scorned.

"Peace, Sister," Sister Qui said, motioning for Sister Ling to calm herself. She turned back to Yangchen. "As I understand it, there are nearly a hundred rebels involved in the uprising. However, no deaths have been reported."

"We're talking about deaths!" Yangchen had cried, jumping to her feet and the air around her swirling in her anger.

"Avatar Yangchen, you will keep a civil tongue!" Sister Qui commanded.

"Don't worry, child," Sister Ling had said. "I commanded the Knights to intercede on your behalf, as is their responsibility."

And that was it. Yangchen had demanded to fly to the North Pole at once to resolve the conflict. The Knights had a three day head start, so Yangchen insisted on leaving immediately. They had been flying north ever since.

Avatar Yangchen sat staring in the flame long after she should have gone to bed. She tried meditating but she didn't feel any better about herself.

She saw movement in the darkness and she leapt to her feet.

"Calm down, it's me!"

It was Baojia, walking out of the crude structure Yangchen had hastily crafted with earthbending.

"Sorry, Boajia," she said, sitting back down. "What are you doing up?"

"Gao's snoring," he answered.

"Say no more," Yangchen said, sitting back down.

Baojia sat on the ground next to her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Yangchen sighed heavily and looked at the stars. "I'm the Avatar. I'm supposed to settle worldly disputes, but the nuns couldn't even be bothered to tell me that there was a conflict at the North Pole."

"Did they say why they kept it from you?" Baojia asked.

Yangchen shook her head. "They just heard that there was fighting so Sister Ling sent my Knights without even consulting me. But that doesn't even bother me as much as not even _knowing_ that it's happening at all!"

"Well," Baojia said, choosing his words carefully. "That... is the point of the Knights, isn't it? They take up arms so you don't have to."

"No, that's not the point," Yangchen said. "If there's even the slightest chance we can resolve this conflict peacefully, I'd rather do that than send in those..." she searched for the right word.

"Thugs?" Baojia suggested.

"I was going to say mercenaries."

Baojia shrugged. "I'm not sure a pacifist Air Nomad like me or Sister Ling could have any advice to offer you. You know how our people are like. We avoid conflict. That's why I'm out here instead of... I don't know, smothering Gao to stop the snoring."

They sat out in the dark for another few moments, the fire still crackling.

"You need some sleep," Baojia said.

Yangchen nodded, miserably. "You go ahead. I'll be there in a little bit." Baojia shrugged and retreated inside.

Yangchen stared at the fire, inspired. Baojia was right. An Air Nomad couldn't help her. She closed her eyes and called to her past lives for guidance. "I am here, Yangchen," came a voice. Yangchen opened her eyes.

Sitting in the fire was a vision of a man with an ornate red headdress and an impressive mustache- Avatar Lawa, her predecessor from the Fire Nation.

"Avatar Lawa," said Yangchen. "I need to ask you something. I'm the Avatar- it's my duty to keep the peace in the world, but I was completely unaware that there was conflict in the Water Tribe."

Avatar Lawa stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "An Avatar's duty is to the world. Your nuns are doing you a disservice by secluding you from it."

"But I live in the Western Air Temple," Yangchen argued, "and it's as secluded as you can get. How can I have a life and keep the world safe?"

"You needn't abandon your home and family," said Avatar Lawa, "but you can't neglect your duties as well. If your nuns keep worldly matters hidden from you, then you cannot trust them. My advice is this, young Avatar. Surround yourself with people you can trust not to keep these things from you."

.

.

.

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_Ken_

Ken rode Shan through the remnants of their last battle. It was another southern Fire Nation harbor. The rocky shore was thick with washed up bits of ships and broken and burning structures. Massive stones jutted from the earth where the earthbenders and Sir Xin had fought.

He heard the bleeting of an ostrich-horse behind him and he pulled Shan to a stop and turned in his saddle. One of the earthbending knights was riding toward him. It took Ken a moment to remember his name. "Gosin," he greeted, raising his hand.

The knight nodded. Looking past him, Ken saw a body laying across the ostrich-horse's back. "A Fire Nation scout," Gosin said. "I'm taking him back to burn with the rest."

Burning the Fire Nation soldiers was Ken's request. After that first battle at the Fire Nation harbor, the Knights were gearing up to ride out. Ken had gone to Sir Piao and insisted that the soldiers be put to rest with dignity and respect. Some of the other Knights hesitated, but Sir Piao had indulged Ken.

After every harbor raid from then on out, the Knights collected the dead and Ken burned them, and sang a Fire Nation eulogy.

_Day is over, light is missing_

_From the water, from earth and air_

_Be at peace, child, rest your head now_

_Be assured the Spirits are here_

_Evening hides all earthly treasures_

_But the stars will shine forever_

_In the distance, coming closer_

_Night lights up the death we fear_

_So be gracious, be reminded_

_of how kind the sun spirit is_

_When we move on, we are told that_

_the sun spirit will hold us dear_

Some of the knights had watched Ken work, but most collected what supplies they could from the destroyed harbor.

After finishing the eulogy, Ken prayed that the Spirits would be with the Fire Nation soldiers in their death. A rush of air distracted him and he opened his eyes to see Sir Piao standing near.

"That was a beautiful song," Piao had said solemnly. "Who wrote it?"

"A fire sage named Zhong."

They stood watching the flames for a while before packing their supplies and moving on. Over the next few weeks, they'd conducted similar raids on Fire Nation harbors along the coast of the Earth Kingdom. Whenever possible, they hunted spies and messenger hawks. Ken could just imagine the confusion happening at every Fire Nation relay tower for miles. The Knights struck so suddenly that they left the harbors no chance to send any messages to the military. And there were no survivors.

After their last raid, Sir Piao had gathered the Knights around him. "We have been so victorious!" he said to them. "We have the Fire Navy in complete disarray. We have set back their mobilization and supplies for months. I am flying to the Southern Air Temple to report to Avatar Aang. I'll be back tomorrow. Wait for me here."

And then he was gone and Ken went about his usual process of burning the bodies. He walked with Gosin down the beach back to the campsite and began to pitch his tent.

As he was enjoying his meal, he heard a shout from above him. "Boat!" One of the airbenders, a nun from the Eastern Air Temple named Sangye, was pointing out to the ocean.

Ken leapt to his feet and ran to the ocean. He peered out across the water but couldn't see anything. Sir Xin appeared by his side with a telescope.

"I see them," he said, and he passed the telescope to Ken. Ken looked through it and saw it. It was a small sailboat, barely ten feet long from end to end.

"Scouts?" asked Sir Ankorr, joining them.

"No," Ken answered, passing the telescope along. "It's not military. But the make is Fire Nation."

"Spies?" Sir Xin asked.

"Not likely," Ken answered. He turned to the two knights. "Tell the earthbenders to make some sort of cave or something. We can hide."

"We don't need to hide," said Sir Xin. "We can take them."

"But we don't need to kill them either," said Sir Ken. "Just keep the forces hidden, I'll find out what they want. I'm in a firebender's uniform, they'll trust me."

Sir Xin and Sir Ankorr exchanged looks.

"Do it!" Ken snapped.

They both nodded and ran back to the Knights. Within moments the earthbenders built a stone wall surrounding the camp like a natural fence. To anyone looking at it, it would look like a rocky hill on the beach. The wind was already covering it with sand.

It wasn't long before the sailboat reached the shore. It was being sailed by two men and a woman. Ken raised a hand in greeting.

They did not wave back. As they approached, Ken could see worried looks on all three.

"Hello, soldier," said one of the men, bowing. Ken bowed in return.

"I am Fa Lee," the boater said, "and this is my wife, Jin, and my brother, Fu. We heard reports that the harbors were being destroyed."

Ken nodded. "Unfortunately, it's true. An elite group of earthbenders has been ransacking the harbors for several days, now. They strike suddenly and quickly. They don't leave any survivors."

The woman, Jin, broke out sobbing and buried her face in her hands. Fa Lee wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Our son was stationed here," he explained. "Is there any chance...?"

Ken shook his head solemnly.

"I'm a scout dispatched from the colonies," Ken lied easily. "I burned the bodies of the dead. I'm not sure if you could identify him, but if you'd like to look, it would be my honor to help you find your son."

Fa Lee nodded. "Yes, please."

Ken led them to the funeral pyre, still smoking from the flames. The bodies were laid out in long rows and the stench of burning flesh was overpowering. Ken immediately regretted offering to search, but he walked with the family down the rows until at last, Jin fell to her knees at the feet of one of the scorched bodies.

"That's him," said the father. "Fa Lee junior. He's wearing his grandfather's charm." He pointed to a necklace with the symbol for fire etched in metal.

The boy was very young, barely older than Ken. He was only dressed in a simple robe, now singed. He had no armor of any kind.

"They killed him before he could even protect himself," said the uncle with venom in his voice. "Savages."

Ken watched wordlessly as the father and uncle collected the burnt body of their boy.

"Thank you for everything you've done," said Fa Lee bowing again. Ken wasn't sure how to take it. For all he knew, that boy was one of the soldiers he himself and helped cut down.

"It was my honor," said Ken, returning the bow.

"We'll camp here for the night," Fa Lee said, laying the body on the sand.

"No!" said Ken forcefully. All three heads turned toward him.

"It's not safe," said Ken, thinking quickly. "The Earth Kingdom's armies are still out there. You need to sail back to the Fire Nation now."

The family nodded and Ken helped them load the body on the sailboat and wrapped in a tarpaulin.

As they sailed away, Ken waved one last time. Once they were barely a blip in the distance, he returned to the Knights. "It's safe now!" he called.

The walls sank back into the beach and all the Knights were glaring at Ken. Even the animals looked miffed.

"That took too long!" Sir Ankorr snapped. "It was hot as hell underneath all that rock."

"They were a family looking for their dead son, have some respect!" Ken snapped back.

"A Fire Nation family!" said one of the waterbenders, Sir Dakota, stepping forward. "Don't you realize they're the enemy!"

"They were civilians!" shouted Ken. "And in case you've forgotten, _I_ am Fire Nation too! Am I your enemy?"

"Are you?" Dakota challenged.

"That's enough!" Sir Ankorr stepped between them. "Sir Dakota, you are a lesser knight. Mind your tongue when you speak to the Fire Knight, or any of your officers."

Dakota glared daggers at Sir Ankorr before spitting out, "Yes, sir."

"And Sir Ken," Ankorr continued, "you jeopardized the safety and secrecy of the Knights by engaging with those civilians. I'm going to tell Sir Piao what you've done. He will judge."

Ken calmed down at that. Surely Sir Piao would see his side. "Thank you, Sir Ankorr," he said. "And please do. I welcome it."

.

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_Yangchen_

_The North Pole_

The air was getting colder the further north they flew and Gao and Baojia both had to wear extra robes to keep from freezing to Pegei's saddle.

"We're almost there!" Yangchen shouted, flying Pegei through the clouds.

She was in a foul mood. As they were flying, Sister Ling had approached her with a list of Earth Kingdom noblemen.

"What is this all about?" Yangchen had asked.

"Suitors for you, of course!" Sisiter Ling had chided. She had said it like it was the most obvious thing. Yangchen was in a state of shock. Ever since hearing about the rebellion in the north, she hadn't heeded a second thought to her marriage prospects.

"Sister Ling, I don't care!" Yangchen had shouted, snatching the list from her hands and throwing it into the wind. "I've got something else on my mind, funnily enough!" she'd continued, turning her attention back to flying Pegei.

Sister Ling could only stare at Yangchen with her mouth agape. Gao and Baojia both sat awkwardly in the saddle, not sure of what to say.

They'd ridden the rest of the way in uncomfortable silence, and Yangchen could only hope that she could keep her temper in check.

"We're here!" Gao cried and Yangchen looked down.

The sparkling icy city of the Water Tribe spanned below them, but the streets were strangely empty.

"Where is everyone?" asked Baojia.

"Look!" said Gao, pointing.

On one of the side streets of the middle level there was a ferocious battle. Even Yangchen hadn't imagined it could be so bad. Waterbenders and water warriors alike were taking cover in the alleys and under bridges. They were losing ground quickly, each new attack forcing them further and further back.

"There, see?" said Sister Ling. "I told you. Your Knights are handling it."

_What? _

Sure enough, on the front lines of the Army were the four men she'd met once all those weeks ago, their white armor blending in to the snow around them.

Yangchen watched as Sir Rozan sent a burst of flame at the rebels, catching their coats on fire. One man fell to the ground and rolled in the snow, putting the flames out. His companions heaved him on their shoulders and fell back, but not before Rozan conjured a whip of flame to lash at them.

That was the final straw.

Yangchen jumped out of her saddle and fell towards the earth, ignoring Sister Ling's admonishing screams.

She hit the snow directly in front of Sir Rozan. He fell back in surprise. Yangchen's eyes flashed blue and then, the snow around her shot away from her like lightning, dragging the two armies away from each other.

When the snow and wind had settled, the rebels let out a cheer. "The Avatar is here!" they screamed. "She'll help us!"

One of the men ran forward. "Yangchen!"

"Roanak!" Yangchen said in surprise, and then she was caught in his embrace.

"Thank the spirits you're here!" said Roanak, releasing her. "We're gonna wipe out those elitists!"

"No!" said Yangchen forcefully. "That's not why I'm here."

Gao and Boajia both sailed down on their gliders, landing lightly beside her. "Then why did you come?" asked Roanak.

Gao spoke before she could. "Is _this _Roanak?!" He looked at Roanak like he was sampling a meat pie. "Miss Avatar you sure can pick 'em good."

"Not now!" Yangchen said, swatting his arm. "Roanak, this is Gao. Take him to the rebels. Designate a leader- someone I can talk to. We're going to meet with the Chief and discuss this. Now!"

Roanak gestured for Gao to follow him and the pair left.

"Baojia," said Yangchen, turning to her other friend. "Go to my Knights. Tell them, the General, and the Water Chief to come here. We are going to settle this _peaceably_."

Baojia nodded and ran to the Water Tribe's army.

Yangchen sat on the cold earth and waited. It wasn't long before Sister Ling joined her.

"I put Pegei down at the Water Tribe's stables," she said, curtly.

Yangchen said nothing.

"Honestly, child, what were you thinking?" Sister Ling scolded. "To get involved in an affair like this-"

"I was _thinking_," Yangchen interrupted, "that I was the Avatar. And it my duty to keep the peace."

"That's what your Knights are for!" said Sister Ling.

"And they were doing a pretty messed up job of it, too!" said Yangchen, leaping to her feet. "These rebels aren't enemies- they're people. We don't even _know_ what they want! We're going to settle down and talk about this like adults and come to a peaceful resolution. Okay?"

Sister Ling didn't have a response to that and Yangchen sat back down.

It wasn't long before Gao and Baojia returned with the leaders in tow. Yangchen recognized the two old men leading the Water Tribe army- Chief Torik and Master Sook. The latter had been her waterbending master. The Knights were not far behind.

Gao and Roanak were leading a young woman and introduced her as "Park". Once everyone was present, Yangchen instructed them to sit in a large circle. While Sister Ling, Gao and Baojia sat crosslegged on the floor, the combatants all hesitated. "Be. Seated!" Yangchen commanded.

No one argued after that, although the Knights looked furious. Ignoring them, Yangchen removed her beaded necklace and held it up. "If you're holding this, you may speak. If you're not, shut up."

Sister Ling looked indignant, but once again, Yangchen ignored her. "First tell me why you're rebelling." She used airbending to send the necklace to Park.

"We feel the Chief is too powerful," she said. "His laws are archaic and his traditions are oppressive. Those of us born without power are doomed to near-poverty with no chance of changing anything. Women are denied proper education or a voice in Tribal counsel. Crime runs rampant in the poorer streets of the Tribe. Some people are forced to steal to survive and if someone is lucky enough to even get a trial, there's never been an instance of the Chief being merciful."

"Hang on," interrupted the Chief, but Yangchen silenced him with a wave of her hand. "Necklace," she reminded him. She turned back to Park.

"So what is it you want, exactly?" she asked.

"We petitioned the Chief for equality man times," said Park, "but we have always been dismissed. So some of us made plans to leave the Tribe. There is another snowy region at the South Pole, completely uninhabited. We were planning a massive pilgrimage and we spread the word throughout the Tribe. But the Chief has locked down the port and forbidden anyone to leave. The entire Tribe was under martial law. There was a curfew, soldiers were attacking us in the streets. We had to fight back."

Park tossed the beads to Yangchen who thanked her and passed them on to Chief Torik. "Now you may speak," she said.

"The rebels have no respect for tradition," he said, gruffly. "My family has ruled the Water Tribe by divine right for generations. The women and the working class have their places of servitude, and the royal family has their position of leadership. Disrupting that throws the Water Tribe out of balance."

Yangchen reclaimed her beads. "I'm a woman," she said, angrily. "I was allowed to learn waterbending."

"Yes, but..." the Chief stammered, before silencing himself. Yangchen smiled with faux sweetness and handed him the beads. "You are the Avatar," he said.

"And a woman," she said. "And a Nomad, so I know what hunger is. Judging by your waistline, I'm guessing you don't."

Chief Torik didn't say anything to that.

"Chief Torik," said Avatar Yangchen, rising to her feet. "You are Chief, so I have no say in how you govern your Tribe. However, if your people want to lawfully emigrate, you have no right to keep them here."

She took the necklace and hung it around her neck again. "Sir Ho," she said, addressing her Knights now. Sir Ho stood up. "It's Commander Ho on the battlefield, ma'am," he said.

"The battle is over, so I will call you _Sir_ Ho," Yangchen said. "From now on, you answer directly to me, not Sister Ling. You will dispatch only on my orders and NEVER without my knowledge. Is that understood?"

Sir Ho nodded and bowed. "Yes, Avatar Yangchen."

"Good," she said. She turned to Park. "Are you the resistance leader?" she asked.

Park nodded.

"Then I designate you rightful Chief of the new Southern Water Tribe."

Park bowed. "Thank you, Avatar. But with all due respect, our new Tribe won't have a single ruler. The citizens of the Tribe will convene to discuss Tribal matters and everyone will have lawful equal say."

Yangchen nodded. "So be it. Do you have ships to make the journey south?"

Park nodded. "We have shipbuilders in our resistance. They will manage for us."

"Good," said Yangchen. "I will help settle your Tribe in any way I can. I will also visit from time to time to see how you're doing." She turned back to the Chief and the general. "And the Northern Water Tribe as well," she said. "It is my duty to tend to the world, so that's what I'll do."

The Chief scowled at her but bowed and said, "As you wish, Avatar."

With that, the two armies retreated. The Water Tribe army followed Chief Torik and Master Sook back to the palace. As Yangchen watched them go, she heard a cheer rise up from the rebels behind her.

They rushed forward to greet her and thank her over and over again. She found herself shaking hands and bowing to so many people. Gao and Baojia joined in, hoisting her on their shoulders as the rebels shouted and cheered around them. Only Sister Ling and the Knights looked dissatisfied.

That night, the rebels reveled in their victory, partying in the streets of the lower levels. Yangchen soon discovered that the impoverished weren't the only ones involved in the rebellion as the business owners from the richer streets joined them. Butchers, brewers, and fishermen brought food to feed the party and musicians came from all over the city to celebrate with them.

Yangchen was perched on top of one of the buildings watching the celebrations from above when Gao and Baojia joined them.

"I can't believe I've never tried wine before!" said Gao, plopping down next to her and threatening to fall over the edge of the roof.

"Yeah, not exactly Air Nomad cuisine," said Baojia, grabbing his husband's shirt to keep him from toppling over the edge. He smiled down at Yangchen. "You were extraordinary today," he said. "A real Avatar. _The_ real Avatar."

She smiled back at him. "Thank you."

"So," said Gao. "Roanak?"

Yangchen shook her head. "He's engaged."

Gao made a disappointed sound.

"It's no big deal," said Yangchen. "I wasn't that into him anyway. Besides, I'm in no hurry. I have a whole Tribe I promised to help settle, remember?"

"Yeah, okay," said Baojia. He hoisted Gao to his feet. "Well, we're off to bed. Night."

"Good night," she called after them. She watched them head to the inn, jovially listening to Gao's flirtatious advances.

Yangchen smiled and looked up at the moon. She didn't have to call Avatar Lawa to her to know that he would've been proud.


End file.
